Strap buckle



O. L. FIELDS STRAP BUCKLE March 5, 1940.

Filed Aug. 30', 1938 Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES STRAP BUCKLE ouie L. Fields, Stockton, Calif.

Application August 30, 1938, Serial No. 227,521

3 Claims.

This invention relates tor strap buckles and particularly to one for use with stirrup leathers, though the utility of the buckle is by no means limited to this use.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a buckle for the purpose which is easy to adjust, one which cannot slip or become `accidentally unfastened, one which holds both runs of a stirrup leather or other strap without necessitating the use of rivets or other relatively permanent securing means between the buckle and either run of the leather as must now usually be employed, and one which can be easily and quickly shifted from one set of leathers to another.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a front view of my improved buckle as mounted on a pair of stirrup leathers.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the buckle with the leathers removed and taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view but with the leathers in place.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the buckle comprises a rigid flat rectangular back plate l and top and bottom front plates 2 and 3 respectively disposed at the ends of and spaced from the back plate. The plates 2 and 3 are rigidly connected to the back plate l by side plates 4, the plates 2, 3 and 4 together with the adjacent portions of the back plate I forming rectangular loops whose width is slightly greater than the width of the strap to be engaged (such as a stirrup leather L), and whose depth is slightly greater than the combined thickness of'two such leathers'. The side plates 4 are preferably formed integral with shallow flanges 5 which extend lengthwise of the back plate in upstanding relation along the side edges thereof and serve to stiffen the back plate as well as forming guides when initially sliding the adjacent leather into the buckle.

Rigidly mounted on the front plate 2 in transversely spaced relation is a pair of pins 6. These depend into the adjacent loop area, .at -right angles to the back plate, to a depth slightly less than half the depth of the loop.

Another pair of similarlyspaced pins 'l project inwardly from the back plate into the loop area included by plate 3 to a depth slightly less than half the depth of said loop.

In mounting the buckle in holding connection with a pair of stirrup leathers L and L', the back leather L is the one projecting upwardly from the stirrup and said leather need only be provided with a pair of holesv8 to receive pins 1. The front leather L however is provided with a series of adjustment holes 9 to receive the pins 6.

When engaging the leathers with the buckle, the leather L may be first slid through the top loop and the desired holes 9 engaged with pins 6. The lower end portion of the leather beyond the holes 9 (which is of sufcient length to extend beyond the lower loop) remains temporarily outside the lower loop as indicated in Fig. 3.

The back leather L is then slid into place through the still unobstructed lower loop, and over the adjacent pins 'l until the latter aline with the holes 8. leather in the meantime passes through the back portion of the upper loop and past the pins 6 without interference, since said pins are in effect embedded inthe leather L' which has been already mounted in place as described.

The two thicknesses of leather substantially filling the upper loop, it is of course then impossible for the leather L to be removed or accidentally displaced. The lower portion of leather L is then passed through the lower loop over the leather L and pins l, as shown in Fig. 3, positively preventing any shifting of said leather L or its disengagement from the holding pins.

When it is desired to readjust the leather L', it is only necessary to slip the lower' end of leather L from the lower loop, which leaves the outer or front portion of said loop clear for disengagement of the leather L from the pins 'l and the shifting of said leather lengthwise and clear from the upper loop. The leatherv L may then be disengaged from pins 6 and shifted lengthwise to a new pin engaging position as will be obvious. The leather L is then moved back into place and the end of leather L is re-engaged with the lower loop.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this speciflcation sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the de- The upper portion of said vice, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A strap buckle comprising a back plate, members on the back plate at opposite ends thereof and forming with said plate spaced strap surrounding right-angle loops of sufficient depth and Width to engage about a pair of straps disposed in superimposed relation on said plate, and means in one loop to engage and hold one strap only against longitudinal movement, and means in the other loop to engage and hold the other strap only against longitudinal movement.

2. A buckle as in claim 1 including upstanding guide anges formed on the sides of the plate and extending longitudinally thereof from loop to loop.

3. A buckle including a back member, spaced 

